Jordan Carleo-Evangelist is reporting at Capitol Confidential state Senate Democrats are backing legislation to accelerate the state minimum wage hike to $9 by a year, or failing that, free cities and towns to raise the minimum pay rate within their own borders. The local control provision would allow local governments to raise the minimum wage as they see fit to counteract varying economic conditions and costs of living across the state. The Democrats’ proposal comes as President Barack Obama is pushing Congress to hike the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 by 2016. New York’s minimum wage increased to $8 on Jan. 1 of this year. A Senate GOP spokesman said Republicans remain focused on policies "that create new, good-paying jobs and reduce the high cost of doing business in New York." Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.